Cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 and parents thereof

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seeds and plants of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber inbred line API-M313306GY, and cucumber inbred line APD-M316-0902MO. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds, plant parts, and tissue cultures of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber inbred line API-M313306GY, and cucumber inbred line APD-M316-0902MO and to methods for producing a cucumber plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another plant, such as a cucumber plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to plants, seeds, plant parts, and tissue cultures of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber inbred line API-M313306GY, and cucumber inbred line APD-M316-0902MO comprising introduced beneficial or desirable traits.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumberinbred line API-M313306GY, and cucumber inbred line APD-M316-0902MO.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety. Such desirable traits may include any trait deemedbeneficial or desirable by a grower or consumer, including greateryield, resistance to insects or disease, tolerance to environmentalstress, and nutritional value.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same plant or plant variety. A plant cross-pollinates if pollencomes to it from a flower of a different plant variety.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for type over manygenerations become homozygous at almost all genetic loci and produce auniform population of true breeding progeny, a homozygous plant. A crossbetween two such homozygous plants of different genotypes produces auniform population of hybrid plants that are heterozygous for manygenetic loci. Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at anumber of loci produces a population of hybrid plants that differgenetically and are not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makesperformance unpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crosses. Pedigree breeding and recurrent selection areexamples of breeding methods that have been used to develop inbredplants from breeding populations. Those breeding methods combine thegenetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various other broad-basedsources into breeding pools from which new lines and hybrids derivedtherefrom are developed by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes.The new lines and hybrids are evaluated to determine which of those havecommercial potential.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, the present invention provides a cucumber plant of hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.Also provided are cucumber plants having all the physiological andmorphological characteristics of such a plant. Parts of these cucumberplants are also provided, for example, including pollen, an ovule, anembryo, a seed, a scion, a rootstock, a fruit, and a cell of the plant.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656,cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO comprisingan added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait may comprise agenetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessive allele. Inone embodiment of the invention, a plant of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656,cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO is definedas comprising a single locus conversion. In specific embodiments of theinvention, an added genetic locus confers one or more traits such as,for example, herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance,and modified carbohydrate metabolism. In further embodiments, the traitmay be conferred by a naturally occurring gene introduced into thegenome of a line by backcrossing, a natural or induced mutation, or atransgene introduced through genetic transformation techniques into theplant or a progenitor of any previous generation thereof. Whenintroduced through transformation, a genetic locus may comprise one ormore genes integrated at a single chromosomal location.

In some embodiments, a single locus conversion includes one or moresite-specific changes to the plant genome, such as, without limitation,one or more nucleotide modifications, deletions, or insertions. A singlelocus may comprise one or more genes or nucleotides integrated ormutated at a single chromosomal location. In one embodiment, a singlelocus conversion may be introduced by a genetic engineering technique,methods of which include, for example, genome editing with engineerednucleases (GEEN). Engineered nucleases include, but are not limited to,Cas endonucleases; zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs); transcriptionactivator-like effector nucleases (TALENs); engineered meganucleases,also known as homing endonucleases; and other endonucleases for DNA orRNA-guided genome editing that are well-known to the skilled artisan.

The invention also concerns the seed of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656,cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. The seedof the invention may be provided as an essentially homogeneouspopulation of seed of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. Essentially homogeneouspopulations of seed are generally free from substantial numbers of otherseed. Therefore, seed of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO may be defined asforming at least about 97% of the total seed, including at least about98%, 99%, or more of the seed. The seed population may be separatelygrown to provide an essentially homogeneous population of cucumberplants designated SVCN0656, API-M313306GY, or APD-M316-0902MO.

In yet another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a cucumber plant of hybrid SVCN0656, line API-M313306GY, orline APD-M316-0902MO is provided. The tissue culture will preferably becapable of regenerating cucumber plants capable of expressing all of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the starting plantand of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype as thestarting plant. Examples of some of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO include those traits setforth in the table herein. The regenerable cells in such tissue culturesmay be derived, for example, from embryos, meristems, cotyledons,pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistils, flowers, seed, andstalks. Still further, the present invention provides cucumber plantsregenerated from a tissue culture of the invention, the plants havingall the physiological and morphological characteristics of cucumberhybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing cucumber seeds, plants, and fruit, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent cucumber plant with a second parentcucumber plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parentplants is a plant of cucumber line API-M313306GY or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO. These processes may be further exemplified as processesfor preparing hybrid cucumber seed or plants, wherein a first cucumberplant is crossed with a second cucumber plant of a different, distinctgenotype to provide a hybrid that has, as one of its parents, a plant ofcucumber line API-M313306GY or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. In theseprocesses, crossing will result in the production of seed. The seedproduction occurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent cucumber plant,often in proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediatedby insect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually.Where the plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without theneed for direct human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent cucumber plants into plants that bear flowers. A thirdstep may comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the flowers (i.e., killing or removing the pollen).

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent cucumber plants. Yet another step comprisesharvesting the seeds from at least one of the parent cucumber plants.The harvested seed can be grown to produce a cucumber plant or hybridcucumber plant.

The present invention also provides the cucumber seeds and plantsproduced by a process that comprises crossing a first parent cucumberplant with a second parent cucumber plant, wherein at least one of thefirst or second parent cucumber plants is a plant of cucumber hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.In one embodiment of the invention, cucumber seed and plants produced bythe process are first generation (F₁) hybrid cucumber seed and plantsproduced by crossing a plant in accordance with the invention withanother, distinct plant. The present invention further contemplatesplant parts of such an F₁ hybrid cucumber plant, and methods of usethereof. Therefore, certain exemplary embodiments of the inventionprovide an F₁ hybrid cucumber plant and seed thereof.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant derived from cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO, the method comprisingthe steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from cucumber hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO,wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of cucumber hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MOwith a second plant; and (b) crossing the progeny plant with itself or asecond plant to produce a seed of a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration. In further embodiments, the method may additionallycomprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of a subsequent generation fromsaid seed of a progeny plant of a subsequent generation and crossing theprogeny plant of a subsequent generation with itself or a second plant;and repeating the steps for an additional 3-10 generations to produce aplant derived from cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. The plant derived fromcucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO may be an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeatedcrossing steps may be defined as comprising sufficient inbreeding toproduce the inbred line. In the method, it may be desirable to selectparticular plants resulting from step (c) for continued crossingaccording to steps (b) and (c). By selecting plants having one or moredesirable traits, a plant derived from cucumber hybrid SVCN0656,cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO isobtained which possesses some of the desirable traits of the line/hybridas well as potentially other selected traits.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing food or feed comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of cucumberhybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and(b) collecting at least one cucumber from the plant.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofcucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO is provided. The phrase “genetic complement” is used torefer to the aggregate of nucleotide sequences, the expression of whichsequences defines the phenotype of, in the present case, a cucumberplant, or a cell or tissue of that plant. A genetic complement thusrepresents the genetic makeup of a cell, tissue or plant, and a hybridgenetic complement represents the genetic make-up of a hybrid cell,tissue or plant. The invention thus provides cucumber plant cells thathave a genetic complement in accordance with the cucumber plant cellsdisclosed herein, and seeds and plants containing such cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO could be identified byany of the many well-known techniques such as, for example, SimpleSequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic AcidsRes., 1 8:6531-6535, 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs),DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science,280:1077-1082, 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by cucumber plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a cucumber plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second cucumber plant, preferably, another, distinctcucumber plant. In another aspect, the present invention provides acucumber plant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybridgenetic complement of this invention.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of the mean for the device or method being employed todetermine the value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used tomean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives onlyor the alternatives are mutually exclusive. When used in conjunctionwith the word “comprising” or other open language in the claims, thewords “a” and “an” denote “one or more,” unless specifically notedotherwise. The terms “comprise,” “have,” and “include” are open-endedlinking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more of these verbs, suchas “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,” “includes,” and“including,” are also open-ended. For example, any method that“comprises,” “has,” or “includes” one or more steps is not limited topossessing only those one or more steps and also covers other unlistedsteps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has,” or “includes” oneor more traits is not limited to possessing only those one or moretraits and covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,seeds, and derivatives of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, and cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.

Hybrid SVCN0656, also known as 14-M3-POP-0656, is gynoecious,indeterminate, American pickling cucumber variety intended for openfield production. Hybrid SVCN0656 comprises a high level of resistanceto Downy Mildew. The hybrid also comprises resistance to anthracnose,angular leaf spot, powdery mildew, scab, and cucumber mosaic virus.Cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 develops a plant that produces concentrated,dark green, blocky fruit with blunt ends and a blocky shape that aresuitable for machine or hand harvest. Cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 comprisesthe Downy Mildew resistance traits described in U.S. Pat. Nos.8,809,622, 8,859,859, 9,675,016, and 10,251,352.

A. Origin and Breeding History of Cucumber Hybrid SVCN0656

The parents of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 are cucumber line API-M313306GYand cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. The parent lines are uniform andstable, as is a hybrid produced therefrom. A small percentage ofvariants can occur within commercially acceptable limits for almost anycharacteristic during the course of repeated multiplication. However novariants are expected.

B. Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Cucumber HybridSVCN0656, Cucumber Line API-M313306GY, and Cucumber Line APD-M316-0902MO

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there areprovided plants having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 and the parent linesthereof. Descriptions of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of such plants are presented in the table that follows.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of CucumberHybrid SVCN0656 CHARACTERISTIC SVCN0656 Expedition Type predominantusage pickling pickling predominant culture outdoor outdoor area of bestadaptation in the most areas most areas U.S.A Maturity days from seedingto market 53 54 maturity Plant habit vine vine cotyledon: bitternesspresent present growth type indeterminate indeterminate time ofdevelopment of female early early flowers (80% of plants with at leastone female flower) sex primarily 100% gynoecious gynoecious sexexpression gynoecious gynoecious number of female flowers per nodemostly 1 or 2 mostly 1 or 2 flower color yellow yellow flower color (RHScolor chart 13A 13B value) Main Stem main stem length (cm) 111.33 104.32number of nodes from cotyledon 0.56 0.73 leaves to node bearing thefirst pistillate flower internode length (cm) 7.93 6.61 stem formgrooved ridged grooved ridged plant: total length of first 15 mediummedium internodes Leaf mature blade of third leaf: leaf 197.36 180.15length (mm) mature blade of third leaf: leaf 194.73 177.25 width (mm)mature blade of third leaf: petiole 13.66 12.07 length (cm) length longmedium ratio length of terminal lobe/length large medium of blade shapeof apex of terminal lobe right angled right angled intensity of greencolor dark dark blistering medium strong undulation of margin absent orweak absent or weak dentation of margin weak weak ovary: color ofvestiture white white Fruit length medium medium at edible maturity:fruit length (cm) 16.92 17.12 diameter medium medium at edible maturity:fruit diameter at 4.58 4.71 medial (cm) ratio length/diameter largelarge core diameter in relation to diameter medium medium of fruit shapein transverse section round to angular round to angular shape of stemend obtuse obtuse shape of calyx end truncate truncate at ediblematurity: fruit gram weight 208.43 212.31 skin color/mottling mottled ormottled or speckled with speckled with yellow yellow at edible maturity:yellowish extended more than extended more than blossom end stripes ⅓ ofthe fruit length ⅓ of the fruit length at edible maturity: predominantdark green medium green color at stem end at edible maturity:Predominant 139A 137A color at stem end (RHS Color Chart value) atedible maturity: predominant medium green medium green color at blossomend at edible maturity: predominant 144A 144A color at blossom end (RHSColor Chart value) at edible maturity: fruit neck shape not necked notnecked at edible maturity: fruit tapering ends blunt or ends blunt orrounded rounded at edible maturity: stem end cross circular circularsection at edible maturity: medial cross circular circular section atedible maturity: blossom end circular circular cross section groundcolor of skin at market stage green green intensity of ground color ofskin medium light at edible maturity: skin thickness thick thin atedible maturity: skin ribs weak weak sutures absent present creasingabsent present degree of creasing n/a weak at edible maturity: skintoughness tender tender at edible maturity: skin luster dull dull atedible maturity: spine color white white at edible maturity: spinequality fine fine at edible maturity: spine density few few type ofvestiture hairs and prickles hairs and prickles density of vestituresparse sparse density of vestiture (only varieties white white withwhite ovary vestiture) warts absent absent at edible maturity: flavorbitterfree bitterfree length of stripes medium medium dots presentpresent distribution of dots evenly distributed evenly distributedlength of fruit containing dots whole length whole length density ofdots dense medium glaucosity absent or very weak absent or very weaklength of peduncle medium medium ground color of skin at physiologicalyellow yellow ripeness Fruit seed at harvest maturity measurements fruitseed length (cm) 23.29 23.80 measurements fruit seed diameter at 6.897.08 medial (cm) color yellow yellow color RHS Color Chart value 7B 9Ccolor pattern striped striped surface smooth smooth netting slight ornone slight or none Seeds number of seeds per fruit 128.13 126.43 gramsper 1,000 seeds 31.66 29.20 These are typical values. Values may varydue to environment. Values that are substantially equivalent are withinthe scope of the invention.

TABLE 2 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Cucumber LineAPI-M313306GY API- AP-45- CHARACTERISTIC M313306GY 5298-GY Typepredominant usage slicing/fresh market pickling predominant cultureoutdoor outdoor area of best adaptation in the U.S.A. most areas mostareas Maturity days from seeding to market 56 60 maturity Plant habitvine vine cotyledon: bitterness present absent growth type indeterminateindeterminate time of development of female medium early flowers (80% ofplants with at least one female flower) sex 100% gynoecious 100%gynoecious sex expression gynoecious gynoecious number of female flowersper node mostly 1 or 2 mostly 1 flower color yellow yellow flower color(RHS color chart value) 9A 9C Main Stem main stem length (cm) 96.8599.97 number of nodes from cotyledon 1.87 2.13 leaves to node bearingthe first pistillate flower internode length (cm) 5.67 5.44 stem formgrooved ridged grooved ridged plant: total length of first 15 mediummedium internodes Leaf mature blade of third leaf: leaf 140.38 141.33length (mm) mature blade of third leaf: leaf width 143.90 138.30 (mm)mature blade of third leaf: petiole 11.70 11.30 length (cm) lengthmedium medium ratio length of terminal lobe/length small small of bladeshape of apex of terminal lobe right angled right angled intensity ofgreen color medium dark blistering strong strong undulation of marginmoderate moderate dentation of margin strong medium ovary: color ofvestiture white white Fruit length short short at edible maturity: fruitlength (cm) 12.14 12.60 diameter medium medium at edible maturity: fruitdiameter at 4.11 4.32 medial (cm) ratio length/diameter medium mediumcore diameter in relation to diameter medium small of fruit shape intransverse section round to angular round to angular shape of stem endobtuse obtuse shape of calyx end rounded rounded at edible maturity:fruit gram weight 116.03 135.13 skin color/mottling mottled or speckledmottled or speckled with yellow with yellow at edible maturity:yellowish extended more than extended more than blossom end stripes ⅓ ofthe fruit length ⅓ of the fruit length at edible maturity: predominantdark green dark green color at stem end at edible maturity: Predominant137A 147A color at stem end (RHS Color Chart value) at edible maturity:predominant medium green medium green color at blossom end at ediblematurity: predominant 143C 145A color at blossom end (RHS Color Chartvalue) at edible maturity: fruit neck shape not necked not necked atedible maturity: fruit tapering ends blunt or rounded ends blunt orrounded at edible maturity: stem end cross circular circular section atedible maturity: medial cross circular circular section at ediblematurity: blossom end circular circular cross section ground color ofskin at market stage green green intensity of ground color of skin lightmedium at edible maturity: skin thickness thin thin at edible maturity:skin ribs weak weak sutures present present creasing present presentdegree of creasing very weak very weak at edible maturity: skintoughness tender tender at edible maturity: skin luster dull dull atedible maturity: spine color white white at edible maturity: spinequality fine fine at edible maturity: spine density few few type ofvestiture prickles only prickles only density of vestiture sparse sparsedensity of vestiture (only varieties white white with white ovaryvestiture) warts absent absent at edible maturity: flavor bitter bitterlength of stripes long long dots present present distribution of dotsevenly distributed evenly distributed length of fruit containing dotswhole length whole length density of dots medium medium glaucositystrong absent or very weak length of peduncle medium long ground colorof skin at physiological green yellow ripeness Fruit seed at harvestmaturity measurements fruit seed length (cm) 19.76 20.10 measurementsfruit seed diameter at 7.28 7.05 medial (cm) color cream cream color RHSColor Chart value 158A 159A color pattern striped not striped surfacerough smooth netting slight or none slight or none fruit set (harvestseed full maturity) normally with seeds normally with seeds Seeds numberof seeds per fruit 24.03 31.92 grams per 1,000 seeds 29.50 30.50 Theseare typical values. Values may vary due to environment. Values that aresubstantially equivalent are within the scope of the invention.

TABLE 3 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Cucumber LineAPD-M316-0902MO APD-M316- CHARACTERISTIC 0902MO Eureka Type predominantusage pickling pickling predominant culture outdoor outdoor area of bestadaptation in the U.S.A. most areas most areas Maturity days fromseeding to market 62 57 maturity Plant habit vine vine cotyledon:bitterness present present growth type indeterminate indeterminate timeof development of female medium early flowers (80% of plants with atleast one female flower) sex monoecious monoecious sex expressionmonoecious monoecious number of female flowers per node mostly 1 mostly1 flower color yellow yellow flower color (RHS color chart value) 12A 9AMain Stem main stem length (cm) 70.09 116.42 number of nodes fromcotyledon 5.93 2.53 leaves to node bearing the first pistillate flowerinternode length (cm) 4.93 6.24 stem form grooved ridged grooved ridgedplant: total length of first 15 short medium internodes Leaf matureblade of third leaf: leaf 184.08 161.75 length (mm) mature blade ofthird leaf: leaf width 188.78 172.27 (mm) mature blade of third leaf:petiole 9.91 13.22 length (cm) length long medium ratio length ofterminal lobe/length medium medium of blade shape of apex of terminallobe right angled right angled intensity of green color dark mediumblistering medium medium undulation of margin moderate moderatedentation of margin medium strong ovary: color of vestiture white whiteFruit length medium medium at edible maturity: fruit length (cm) 18.6015.41 diameter medium medium at edible maturity: fruit diameter at 4.604.60 medial (cm) ratio length/diameter large large core diameter inrelation to diameter large large of fruit shape in transverse sectionround to angular round to angular shape of stem end obtuse obtuse shapeof calyx end rounded rounded at edible maturity: fruit gram weight201.02 184.45 skin color/mottling not mottled mottled or speckled withyellow at edible maturity: yellowish extended more than extended morethan blossom end stripes ⅓ of the fruit length ⅓ of the fruit length atedible maturity: predominant dark green dark green color at stem end atedible maturity: Predominant 139A 147A color at stem end (RHS ColorChart value) at edible maturity: predominant medium green medium greencolor at blossom end at edible maturity: predominant 144A 144A color atblossom end (RHS Color Chart value) at edible maturity: fruit neck shapenot necked not necked at edible maturity: fruit tapering ends blunt orrounded ends blunt or rounded at edible maturity: stem end crosscircular triangular section at edible maturity: medial cross triangulartriangular section at edible maturity: blossom end triangular triangularcross section ground color of skin at market stage yellow yellowintensity of ground color of skin light light at edible maturity: skinthickness thin thin at edible maturity: skin ribs absent absent suturesabsent absent creasing absent absent at edible maturity: skin toughnesstender tender at edible maturity: skin luster glossy dull at ediblematurity: spine color white white at edible maturity: spine quality finefine at edible maturity: spine density few few type of vestiture hairsand prickles hairs and prickles density of vestiture sparse sparsedensity of vestiture (only varieties dark brown dark brown with whiteovary vestiture) warts absent absent at edible maturity: flavorbitterfree bitterfree length of stripes short short dots absent presentdistribution of dots n/a evenly distributed length of fruit containingdots n/a whole length density of dots n/a dense glaucosity absent orvery weak absent or very weak length of peduncle medium medium groundcolor of skin at physiological yellow white ripeness Fruit seed atharvest maturity measurements fruit seed length (cm) 22.14 23.23measurements fruit seed diameter at 6.70 7.74 medial (cm) color yellowyellow color RHS Color Chart value 13B 8C color pattern not stripedstriped surface smooth smooth netting slight or none slight or nonefruit set (harvest seed full maturity) normally with seeds normally withseeds Seeds number of seeds per fruit 114.53 112.57 grams per 1,000seeds 32.60 29.95 These are typical values. Values may vary due toenvironment. Values that are substantially equivalent are within thescope of the invention.

C. Breeding Cucumber Plants

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for producing seedof cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 involving crossing cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY and cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. Alternatively, in otherembodiments of the invention, cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO may be crossed withitself or with any second plant. Such methods can be used forpropagation of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, orcucumber line APD-M316-0902MO or can be used to produce plants that arederived from cucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, orcucumber line APD-M316-0902MO. Plants derived from cucumber hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MOmay be used, in certain embodiments, for the development of new cucumbervarieties.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell-known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing cucumber hybrid SVCN0656 followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well-known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants which either themselves exhibitone or more selected desirable characteristics or which exhibit thedesired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initialcrosses have been made, inbreeding and selection take place to producenew varieties. For development of a uniform line, often five or moregenerations of selfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g., colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may begrown into haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. Ineither case, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance withthe invention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with aplant of the invention and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers a specific desirable trait from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks that trait. This can be accomplished, forexample, by first crossing a superior inbred (A) (recurrent parent) to adonor inbred (non-recurrent parent), which carries the appropriate locusor loci for the trait in question. The progeny of this cross are thenmated back to the superior recurrent parent (A) followed by selection inthe resultant progeny for the desired trait to be transferred from thenon-recurrent parent. After five or more backcross generations withselection for the desired trait, the progeny have the characteristicbeing transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almostall other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to givepure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The plants of the present invention are particularly well suited for thedevelopment of new lines based on the elite nature of the geneticbackground of the plants. In selecting a second plant to cross withcucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO for the purpose of developing novel cucumber lines, itwill typically be preferred to choose those plants which eitherthemselves exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics orwhich exhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination.Examples of desirable traits may include, in specific embodiments, highseed yield, high seed germination, seedling vigor, high fruit yield,disease tolerance or resistance, and adaptability for soil and climateconditions. Consumer-driven traits, such as a fruit shape, color,texture, and taste are other examples of traits that may be incorporatedinto new lines of cucumber plants developed by this invention.

D. Further Embodiments of the Invention

In certain aspects of the invention, plants described herein areprovided modified to include at least a first desired heritable trait.Such plants may, in one embodiment, be developed by a plant breedingtechnique called backcrossing, wherein essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics of a variety arerecovered in addition to a genetic locus transferred into the plant viathe backcrossing technique. The term single locus converted plant asused herein refers to those cucumber plants which are developed by aplant breeding technique called backcrossing or by genetic engineering,wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of a variety are recovered or conserved in addition tothe single locus introduced into the variety via the backcrossing orgenetic engineering technique, respectively. By essentially all of themorphological and physiological characteristics, it is meant that thecharacteristics of a plant are recovered or conserved that are otherwisepresent when compared in the same environment, other than an occasionalvariant trait that might arise during backcrossing, introduction of atransgene, or application of a genetic engineering technique.

Backcrossing methods can be used with the present invention to improveor introduce a characteristic into the present variety. The parentalcucumber plant which contributes the locus for the desiredcharacteristic is termed the nonrecurrent or donor parent. Thisterminology refers to the fact that the nonrecurrent parent is used onetime in the backcross protocol and therefore does not recur. Theparental cucumber plant to which the locus or loci from the nonrecurrentparent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent as it is usedfor several rounds in the backcrossing protocol.

In a typical backcross protocol, the original variety of interest(recurrent parent) is crossed to a second variety (nonrecurrent parent)that carries the single locus of interest to be transferred. Theresulting progeny from this cross are then crossed again to therecurrent parent and the process is repeated until a cucumber plant isobtained wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of the recurrent parent are recovered in the convertedplant, in addition to the single transferred locus from the nonrecurrentparent.

The selection of a suitable recurrent parent is an important step for asuccessful backcrossing procedure. The goal of a backcross protocol isto alter or substitute a single trait or characteristic in the originalvariety. To accomplish this, a single locus of the recurrent variety ismodified or substituted with the desired locus from the nonrecurrentparent, while retaining essentially all of the rest of the desiredgenetic, and therefore the desired physiological and morphologicalconstitution of the original variety. The choice of the particularnonrecurrent parent will depend on the purpose of the backcross; one ofthe major purposes is to add some commercially desirable trait to theplant. The exact backcrossing protocol will depend on the characteristicor trait being altered and the genetic distance between the recurrentand nonrecurrent parents. Although backcrossing methods are simplifiedwhen the characteristic being transferred is a dominant allele, arecessive allele, or an additive allele (between recessive anddominant), may also be transferred. In this instance it may be necessaryto introduce a test of the progeny to determine if the desiredcharacteristic has been successfully transferred.

In one embodiment, progeny cucumber plants of a backcross in which aplant described herein is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desiredtrait from the non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiologicaland morphological characteristics of cucumber the recurrent parent asdetermined at the 5% significance level when grown in the sameenvironmental conditions.

New varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

With the development of molecular markers associated with particulartraits, it is possible to add additional traits into an established germline, such as represented here, with the end result being substantiallythe same base germplasm with the addition of a new trait or traits.Molecular breeding, as described in Moose and Mumm, 2008 (PlantPhysiol., 147: 969-977), for example, and elsewhere, provides amechanism for integrating single or multiple traits or QTL into an eliteline. This molecular breeding-facilitated movement of a trait or traitsinto an elite line may encompass incorporation of a particular genomicfragment associated with a particular trait of interest into the eliteline by the mechanism of identification of the integrated genomicfragment with the use of flanking or associated marker assays. In theembodiment represented here, one, two, three or four genomic loci, forexample, may be integrated into an elite line via this methodology. Whenthis elite line containing the additional loci is further crossed withanother parental elite line to produce hybrid offspring, it is possibleto then incorporate at least eight separate additional loci into thehybrid. These additional loci may confer, for example, such traits as adisease resistance or a fruit quality trait. In one embodiment, eachlocus may confer a separate trait. In another embodiment, loci may needto be homozygous and exist in each parent line to confer a trait in thehybrid. In yet another embodiment, multiple loci may be combined toconfer a single robust phenotype of a desired trait.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, or viral disease,insect resistance, modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, andaltered nutritional quality. These comprise genes generally inheritedthrough the nucleus.

Direct selection may be applied where the single locus acts as adominant trait. For this selection process, the progeny of the initialcross are assayed for viral resistance or the presence of thecorresponding gene prior to the backcrossing. Selection eliminates anyplants that do not have the desired gene and resistance trait, and onlythose plants that have the trait are used in the subsequent backcross.This process is then repeated for all additional backcross generations.

Selection of cucumber plants for breeding is not necessarily dependenton the phenotype of a plant and instead can be based on geneticinvestigations. For example, one can utilize a suitable genetic markerwhich is closely genetically linked to a trait of interest. One of thesemarkers can be used to identify the presence or absence of a trait inthe offspring of a particular cross, and can be used in selection ofprogeny for continued breeding. This technique is commonly referred toas marker assisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or otherassay which is able to identify the relative presence or absence of atrait of interest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes.Procedures for marker assisted selection are well known in the art. Suchmethods will be of particular utility in the case of recessive traitsand variable phenotypes, or where conventional assays may be moreexpensive, time consuming, or otherwise disadvantageous. In addition,marker assisted selection may be used to identify plants comprisingdesirable genotypes at the seed, seedling, or plant stage, to identifyor assess the purity of a cultivar, to catalog the genetic diversity ofa germplasm collection, and to monitor specific alleles or haplotypeswithin an established cultivar.

Types of genetic markers which could be used in accordance with theinvention include, but are not necessarily limited to, Simple SequenceLength Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 18:6531-6535, 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs), DNAAmplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., Science,280:1077-1082, 1998).

In particular embodiments of the invention, marker assisted selection isused to increase the efficiency of a backcrossing breeding scheme forproducing a cucumber line comprising a desired trait. This technique iscommonly referred to as marker assisted backcrossing (MABC). Thistechnique is well-known in the art and may involve, for example, the useof three or more levels of selection, including foreground selection toidentity the presence of a desired locus, which may complement orreplace phenotype screening protocols; recombinant selection to minimizelinkage drag; and background selection to maximize recurrent parentgenome recovery.

E. Plants Derived by Genetic Engineering

Various genetic engineering technologies have been developed and may beused by those of skill in the art to introduce traits in plants. Incertain aspects of the claimed invention, traits are introduced intocucumber plants via altering or introducing a single genetic locus ortransgene into the genome of a recited variety or progenitor thereof.Methods of genetic engineering to modify, delete, or insert genes andpolynucleotides into the genomic DNA of plants are well-known in theart.

In specific embodiments of the invention, improved cucumber lines can becreated through the site-specific modification of a plant genome.Methods of genetic engineering include, for example, utilizingsequence-specific nucleases such as zinc-finger nucleases (see, forexample, U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2011-0203012); engineered or nativemeganucleases; TALE-endonucleases (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.8,586,363 and 9,181,535); and RNA-guided endonucleases, such as those ofthe CRISPR/Cas systems (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,697,359 and8,771,945 and U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. No. 2014-0068797). One embodiment ofthe invention thus relates to utilizing a nuclease or any associatedprotein to carry out genome modification. This nuclease could beprovided heterologously within donor template DNA for templated-genomicediting or in a separate molecule or vector. A recombinant DNA constructmay also comprise a sequence encoding one or more guide RNAs to directthe nuclease to the site within the plant genome to be modified. Furthermethods for altering or introducing a single genetic locus include, forexample, utilizing single-stranded oligonucleotides to introduce basepair modifications in a cucumber plant genome (see, for example Sauer etal., Plant Physiol, 170(4):1917-1928, 2016).

Methods for site-directed alteration or introduction of a single geneticlocus are well-known in the art and include those that utilizesequence-specific nucleases, such as the aforementioned, or complexes ofproteins and guide-RNA that cut genomic DNA to produce a double-strandbreak (DSB) or nick at a genetic locus. As is well-understood in theart, during the process of repairing the DSB or nick introduced by thenuclease enzyme, a donor template, transgene, or expression cassettepolynucleotide may become integrated into the genome at the site of theDSB or nick. The presence of homology arms in the DNA to be integratedmay promote the adoption and targeting of the insertion sequence intothe plant genome during the repair process through homologousrecombination or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).

In another embodiment of the invention, genetic transformation may beused to insert a selected transgene into a plant of the invention ormay, alternatively, be used for the preparation of transgenes which canbe introduced by backcrossing. Methods for the transformation of plantsthat are well-known to those of skill in the art and applicable to manycrop species include, but are not limited to, electroporation,microprojectile bombardment, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, anddirect DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

An efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segments to plantcells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particles arecoated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the macroprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target cells. The screen disperses the particles so thatthey are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 3(7):637-642, 1985). Moreover, recenttechnological advances in vectors for Agrobacterium-mediated genetransfer have improved the arrangement of genes and restriction sites inthe vectors to facilitate the construction of vectors capable ofexpressing various polypeptide coding genes. The vectors described haveconvenient multi-linker regions flanked by a promoter and apolyadenylation site for direct expression of inserted polypeptidecoding genes. Additionally, Agrobacterium containing both armed anddisarmed Ti genes can be used for transformation.

In those plant strains where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 3:629-635, 1985; U.S.Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, for example,Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985; Omirulleh et al.,Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993; Fromm et al., Nature,312:791-793, 1986; Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986;Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988). Transformation of plants andexpression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(Plant Cell Rep., 13:344-348, 1994), and Ellul et al. (Theor. Appl.Genet., 107:462-469, 2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for plant gene expressioninclude, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expression inmost plant tissues (see, for example, Odel et al., Nature, 313:810,1985), including in monocots (see, for example, Dekeyser et al., PlantCell, 2:591, 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389,1990); a tandemly duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, theenhanced 35S promoter (P-e35S); the nopaline synthase promoter (An etal., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988); the octopine synthase promoter(Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989); the figwort mosaic virus(P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619; an enhancedversion of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where the promoter sequence ofP-FMV is duplicated in tandem; the cauliflower mosaic virus 19Spromoter; a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter; a commelina yellowmottle virus promoter; and other plant virus promoters known to expressin plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, or developmental signals can also beused for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, includingpromoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965,1988), (2) light (e.g., pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., PlantCell, 1:471, 1989; maize rbcS promoter, Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell,3:997, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter, Simpson etal., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid(Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wunl,Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989); or (5) chemicals, such asmethyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It may also beadvantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal et al.,EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987; Schernthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988;Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to plants of thisinvention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a cucumber plant according to theinvention. Non-limiting examples of particular genes and correspondingphenotypes one may choose to introduce into a cucumber plant include oneor more genes for insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis(B.t.) gene, pest tolerance such as genes for fungal disease control,herbicide tolerance such as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, andgenes for quality improvements such as yield, nutritional enhancements,environmental or stress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plantphysiology, growth, development, morphology or plant product(s). Forexample, structural genes would include any gene that confers insecttolerance including but not limited to a Bacillus insect control proteingene as described in WO 99/31248, herein incorporated by reference inits entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880,275, hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety. In another embodiment, thestructural gene can confer tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate asconferred by genes including, but not limited to Agrobacterium strainCP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPS gene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,633,435, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, orglyphosate oxidoreductase gene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,463,175, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991). The RNA could also be acatalytic RNA molecule (i.e., a ribozyme) engineered to cleave a desiredendogenous mRNA product (see, for example, Gibson and Shillito, Mol.Biotech., 7:125, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces a protein or mRNAwhich expresses a phenotype or morphology change of interest is usefulfor the practice of the present invention.

F. Definitions

In the description and table herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Allele: Any of one or more alternative forms of a genetic locus, all ofwhich alleles relate to one trait or characteristic. In a diploid cellor organism, the two alleles of a given gene occupy corresponding locion a pair of homologous chromosomes.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to introduce oneor more single locus conversions or transgenes from one geneticbackground into another.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-Pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor or a chemicalagent conferring male sterility.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent. Marker: A readily detectable phenotype,preferably inherited in codominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in adiploid heterozygote are readily detectable), with no environmentalvariance component, i.e., heritability of 1.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits that are usually continuously distributed.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence, or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Color Chart Value: The RHS Color Chartis a standardized reference which allows accurate identification of anycolor. A color's designation on the chart describes its hue, brightness,and saturation. A color is precisely named by the RHS Color Chart byidentifying the group name, sheet number, and letter, e.g.,Yellow-Orange Group 19A or Red Group 41B.

Self-Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: Plants which are developed bya plant breeding technique called backcrossing or genetic engineering ofa locus, wherein essentially all of the morphological and physiologicalcharacteristics of a cucumber variety are recovered in addition to thecharacteristics of the single locus.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a cucumber plant by transformation orsite-specific modification.

G. Deposit Information

A deposit of cucumber line API-M313306GY and cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO, disclosed above and recited in the claims, has beenmade with the Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae andMicrobiota (NCMA), 60 Bigelow Drive, East Boothbay, Me., 04544 USA. Thedate of deposit for cucumber line API-M313306GY and cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO is Jun. 9, 2020. The accession numbers for thosedeposited seeds of cucumber line API-M313306GY and cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO are NCMA Accession No. 202006003 and NCMA Accession No.202006001, respectively. Upon issuance of a patent, all restrictionsupon the deposits will be removed, and the deposits are intended to meetall of the requirements of 37 C.F.R. §§ 1.801-1.809. The deposits havebeen accepted under the Budapest Treaty and will be maintained in thedepository for a period of 30 years, 5 years after the last request, orthe effective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and will bereplaced if necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

What is claimed:
 1. A cucumber plant comprising at least a first set ofthe chromosomes of cucumber line API-M313306GY or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO, a sample of seed of said lines having been depositedunder NCMA Accession No. 202006003 and NCMA Accession No. 202006001,respectively.
 2. A cucumber seed that produces the plant of claim
 1. 3.The plant of claim 1, wherein the plant is a plant of said cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.
 4. The plant of claim 1,wherein the plant is a plant of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656.
 5. The seed ofclaim 2, wherein the seed is a seed of said cucumber line API-M313306GYor cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.
 6. The seed of claim 2, wherein theseed is a seed of cucumber hybrid SVCN0656.
 7. A plant part of the plantof claim 1, wherein the plant part comprises a cell of said plant.
 8. Acucumber plant having all the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of the plant of claim
 4. 9. A tissue culture ofregenerable cells of the plant of claim
 1. 10. A method of vegetativelypropagating the plant of claim 1, the method comprising the steps of:(a) collecting tissue capable of being propagated from the plant ofclaim 1; and (b) propagating a cucumber plant from said tissue.
 11. Amethod of introducing a trait into a cucumber line, the methodcomprising: (a) utilizing as a recurrent parent the plant of claim 3 bycrossing said plant with a donor plant that comprises a trait to produceF₁ progeny; (b) selecting an F₁ progeny that comprises the trait; (c)backcrossing the selected F₁ progeny with a plant of the same line usedas the recurrent parent in step (a) to produce backcross progeny; (d)selecting a backcross progeny comprising the trait and otherwisecomprising the morphological and physiological characteristics of therecurrent parent line used in step (a); and (e) repeating steps (c) and(d) three or more times to produce a selected fourth or higher backcrossprogeny.
 12. A cucumber plant produced by the method of claim 11,wherein said plant comprises the trait and otherwise comprises all ofthe morphological and physiological characteristics of cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.
 13. A method ofproducing a cucumber plant comprising an added trait, the methodcomprising introducing a transgene conferring the trait into the plantof claim
 1. 14. A cucumber plant produced by the method of claim 13,wherein said plant comprises the trait and otherwise comprises all ofthe morphological and physiological characteristics of cucumber hybridSVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO.15. A cucumber plant comprising at least a first set of the chromosomesof cucumber line API-M313306GY or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO, asample of seed of said lines having been deposited under NCMA AccessionNo. 202006003 and NCMA Accession No. 202006001, respectively, furthercomprising a transgene.
 16. The plant of claim 15, wherein the transgeneconfers a trait selected from the group consisting of male sterility,herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, pest resistance, diseaseresistance, modified fatty acid metabolism, environmental stresstolerance, modified carbohydrate metabolism, and modified proteinmetabolism.
 17. A cucumber plant comprising at least a first set of thechromosomes of cucumber line API-M313306GY or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO, a sample of seed of said lines having been depositedunder NCMA Accession No. 202006003 and NCMA Accession No. 202006001,respectively, further comprising a single locus conversion.
 18. Theplant of claim 17, wherein the single locus conversion confers a traitselected from the group consisting of male sterility, herbicidetolerance, insect resistance, pest resistance, disease resistance,modified fatty acid metabolism, environmental stress tolerance, modifiedcarbohydrate metabolism, and modified protein metabolism.
 19. A methodfor producing a seed of a cucumber plant derived from at least one ofcucumber hybrid SVCN0656, cucumber line API-M313306GY, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO, the method comprising the steps of: (a) crossing theplant of claim 1 with itself or a different cucumber plant; and (b)allowing a seed of a cucumber hybrid SVCN0656-derived, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumberplant to form.
 20. A method of producing a seed of a cucumber hybridSVCN0656-derived, cucumber line API-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumber plant, the method comprising the stepsof: (a) producing a cucumber hybrid SVCN0656-derived, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumberplant from a seed produced by crossing the plant of claim 1 with itselfor a different cucumber plant; and (b) crossing the cucumber hybridSVCN0656-derived, cucumber line API-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumber plant with itself or a differentcucumber plant to obtain a seed of a further cucumber hybridSVCN0656-derived, cucumber line API-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber lineAPD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumber plant.
 21. The method of claim 20, themethod further comprising repeating said producing and crossing steps of(a) and (b) using the seed from said step (b) for producing the plantaccording to step (a) for at least one generation to produce a seed ofan additional cucumber hybrid SVCN0656-derived, cucumber lineAPI-M313306GY-derived, or cucumber line APD-M316-0902MO-derived cucumberplant.
 22. A method of producing a cucumber fruit, the methodcomprising: (a) obtaining the plant of claim 1, wherein the plant hasbeen cultivated to maturity; and (b) collecting a cucumber fruit fromthe plant.